Terrifying Thalassophobia Pictures Not for the Faint Hearted

What Is Thalassophobia?

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Thalassophobia is the fear of large bodies of water such as the ocean or a river. As Healthline points out, “Thalassophobia is an intense phobia or fear of large bodies of water” that “comes from the Greek word thalassa, meaning sea, and the word phobos, meaning fear.” It’s estimated around 10% of Americans suffer from this unusual phobia that often manifests itself when you are a child.

While you might never have ever heard of thalassophobia, it is actually a quite common phobia. So much so that there’s even a subreddit that features thousands of thalassophobia pictures posted by both those who fear and love the ocean. Interestingly both groups co-exist on the subreddit, posting photos and sharing their stories about the deep water.

What Are the Symptoms of Thalassophobia?

People who suffer from this specific phobia aren’t just afraid of water. It often involves the deep sea and what is under the surface that they can’t see. Known as an anxiety disorder, people with thalassophobia can easily be triggered whenever they see an ocean, sea, river, or lake. It doesn’t have to be in real life either, with images of large bodies of water also impacting many with the condition. Those with thalassophobia often experience something that is similar to having a panic attack. Symptoms include:

feeling on edge or jittery
uncontrollable shaking or trembling
inability to concentrate
increased heart rate
shortness of breath, hyperventilating
sweating
dry mouth
nausea
chest pain
a sense of losing control

What Causes Thalassophobia?

Most people who develop a fear of the ocean do so after a bad experience. This could be a traumatic event that occurred during childhood or something that happened to them as an adult. Examples include things like almost drowning or seeing a shark in the ocean when swimming. Phobias like thalassophobia can also be attributed to genetic, biological, and genetic factors, but for the majority of sufferers, their fear comes from an event that happened in a body of water that has caused them significant stress.

Scientists believe being afraid of the ocean is not an irrational fear like arachnophobia (fear of spiders) or trypanophobia (fear of injections), but a primal fear based on the unknown. As the National Ocean Service explains, only 10% of the world’s oceans have been mapped, meaning we don’t know a lot about what is going on under the surface. Who knows what type of monster or undiscovered sea creature lives on the ocean floor waiting to strike? This fear of the unknown and what lurks at the bottom of the sea is another major reason people suffer from thalassophobia.

Getting Help

Like the majority of phobias, there is no official cure for thalassophobia. If it is something you think you might suffer from, see your local doctor. While they won’t officially diagnose your condition, they will recommend a psychiatrist or some other mental health professional who can give you a clearer picture and suggest treatment options. This is usually some form of cognitive behavioral therapy or medication. Once you understand more about thalassophobia and how to control your fear, you will have a much better life moving forward.

Terrifying Thalassophobia Pictures Not for the Faint Hearted

Now you know what thalassophobia is, we thought we would share with you some pictures that illustrate the phobia. These images of vast oceans and eerie underwater shots show just how scary large bodies of water can be. If you feel anxious looking at these images then you might suffer from the disorder and should see a doctor, while for everyone else, these pictures capture the enormity of the world’s oceans and how amazing nature is.